Last week, the government shutdown invited an 85 percent surge in cyberattacks while the New York Department of Financial Services updated its third-party risk guidance for financial services and added AI to the mix. And IBM makes headway in its plans to complete its Starling quantum computer by 2029.
Government Shutdown Sends Cyberattacks Soaring by 85%
The US government shutdown has made agencies and furloughed employees prime targets for adversaries—with government cyberattacks up by 85 percent, according to researchers at Media Trust. At this pace, they expect the number of cyberattacks to exceed 555 million by the end of the month. Coupled with cuts and disruption at CISA, the federal government is more vulnerable than usual to threat actors.
Updated New York DFS Guidance on Third-Party Risk Includes AI
The New York Department of Financial Services updated its financial industry guidance on third-party risk and notably included provisions for AI. The guidance acknowledges how entities are becoming more and more reliant on third-party service providers (TPSPs) and “builds on the Department’s ongoing work to protect New Yorkers and DFS-regulated entities from cybersecurity risks through its nation-leading cybersecurity regulation,” according to a press release from the DFS. The updates couldn’t have come at a better time, after an outage at AWS briefly disrupted business last week.
IBM Successfully Runs Quantum Algorithm on Inexpensive AMD Chips
IBM was able to run in real-time a quantum error-handling algorithm on AMD’s field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chips and the company is sharing details in a new report. IBM believes the milestone puts the company one step closer to completing its Starling quantum computer slated for 2029. Experts, however, warn that the rosy view may dim in the face of the realities of real life.
Developers Keen on AI, But Don’t Trust It
While nine in 10 developers are now incorporating AI into their daily workflows–up from 76 percent last year–nearly half don’t fully trust it, according to new research from Google Cloud. Widely regarded as a benchmark for evaluating software delivery performance, this year’s DevOps Research and Assessment (DORA) report highlights a major change in how software professionals are using AI, revealing that 65 percent of developers are also relying heavily on AI for tasks like code generation, code reviews, and software testing, spending an average of two hours daily using AI tools.
AI-fueled Attacks Are Overwhelming Security Teams
The bulk of cybersecurity and IT professionals are having a hard time to keep up with cyberattacks, especially as AI puts tools in the hands of adversaries that let them create more believable and efficient phishing attacks and exploit vulnerabilities at scale. Just about half cite the biggest ransomware attack as AI-automated attack chains, according to a survey of 1,100 cybersecurity and IT professionals conducted by Vanson Bourne for CrowdStrike.
EU Data Act Takes Effect
Two years after it was enacted, the European Union’s Data Act came into force on September 12 as one of the most comprehensive pieces of legislation ever passed around data management. The law seeks to create a fair and competitive single market for data by making Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) data more accessible while clarifying who can use it and under what conditions. The new rules build on earlier frameworks such as the Data Governance Act, which together aim to further the bloc’s digital sovereignty initiatives by ensuring that a handful of powerful firms don’t lock it away. The law’s various provisions, including cloud portability, interoperability, and cracking down on unfair terms, is a direct response to market power dynamics where US Big Tech remains dominant.
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